Tanja Masson-Zwaan is Assistant Professor and Deputy Director of the International Institute of Air and Space Law at Leiden University. Tanja has specialised in the field of air and space law since 25 years. She currently teaches air and space law in the advanced Masters programme (LLM) in air and space law of Leiden University, and carries out various research activities. She is the President of the International Institute of Space Law (IISL, www.iislweb.org) since 2007 and has published papers on a variety of topics over the years. She lectures on space law all over the world, advises the Dutch government and other national and international bodies on matters relating to space law, and attends the sessions of the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space as an observer. In August 2012, she was appointed by the Dutch Government as an Arbitrator with the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague in the framework of the Optional Rules for Arbitration of Disputes Relating to Outer Space Activities.

After obtaining her masters degree in international law, she was Co-Director of the International Institute of Air and Space Law (IIASL) at Leiden University from 1985-1990. Tanja spent almost 15 years abroad before returning to the Institute in 2008. During her expatriation, she set up and taught courses in air and space law at the National University of Singapore, worked as a consultant in France for industrial and institutional clients, and served many years as Executive Secretary of the IISL. She created Adastra Consulting after having moved back to The Netherlands in 2004 and worked as an independent consultant on various projects in the fields of air and space law.

Tanja is a recipient of the Distinguished Service Award of the IISL (2001) and of the Social Sciences Award of the International Academy of Astronautics, IAA (2008).

She is a member of various professional organisations such as the International Astronautical Academy (IAA, Full Member), the Académie de l’air et de l’espace (ANAE, France), the International Law Association (ILA, including its Space Law Committee and the Netherlands' Branch NVIR), the European Centre for Space Law (ECSL), of which she was a Board Member from 1989 - 1996. She is Vice Chairman of the Netherlands Space Society (NVR), an Adviser to Mars One, a Faculty member of the London Insitute of space policy and law, and Member of the Advisory Board of Space Generation Advisory Council (SGAC), and of the Asian Journal of Air and Space Law (National University of Juridical Sciences, Kolkata, India). She served as a Member of the Founding Board of Women in Aerospace-Europe (2009-2012) and as Member of the Advisory Board of HE Space Operations (2010-2012).

Lectures and presentations:
. 23 March 2009, 30th Anniversary of the “Moon Agreement”: Retrospect and Prospects, IISL/ECSL Symposium at the 48 th Session of the Legal Subcommittee Session of UNCOPUOS, Vienna, Austria. Co-chair
· 13 February 2009, Connecting Japan with the Netherlands and Europe, Past & Future: Maritime, Aviation and Space Relations, Peace palace, The Hague, IIASL/MEARC Conference, Co-chair, space panel
· 20 February 2009, interview by Klaas Drupsteen in 'Casa Luna', NCRV Radio 1,
. 23 March 2009,30th Anniversary of the “Moon Agreement”: Retrospect and Prospects, IISL/ECSL Symposium at the 48 th Session of the Legal Subcommittee Session of UNCOPUOS, Vienna, Austria. Co-chair· 21 April 2009, De Ruimte: een conflictgebied? (Space: a conflict area?'), lecture at SIB (Studentenvereniging voor Internationale Betrekkingen), Amsterdam
· 27 May 2009, The Militarization of Space- Recent Initiatives, lecture at the Conference on Key Issues in International Aviation Law, DePaul University College of Law/ BeiHang University School of Law, Beijing, China
· 15 June 2009, The Role of International Law in improving Space Security, presentation at the “Space Security 2009" Conference, UNIDIR, Geneva, Switzerland
· 18 June 2009, The 1992 Principles Relevant to the Use of Nuclear Power Sources, presentation at the 2nd Authors Workshop, CoCoSL, Bonn, Germany
· 26 August 2009, Space Law in the 21st Century, lecture at the First Space Law Workshop, University of Sao Paulo, Brazil
· 23 September 2009, The European Space Agency Today and its place in the EU, lecture at European Studies / Montesquieu Institute, Campus the Hague
· 10 November 2009, Regional and International Cooperation and the role of Bilateral and Multilateral Agreements, lecture at UN/Islamic Republic of Iran Workshop on Space Law, Tehran, Iran
· 12-13 November 2009, participant in Second United Nations Expert Meeting on Promoting Education in Space Law, Tehran
· 26 November 2009, Process and implications of licensing under national space legislation, Workshop Contracting for Space, An Overview of Contract Practice in the European Space Sector, Bremen, Germany
· 26 November 2009, Keynote address, Contracting for Space Workshop, Bremen, Germany
· 1 December 2009, Tutorial on GNSS Liabilities for AENA (Aeropuertos Españoles y Navegación Aérea), Module 7 – Space law liability and GNSS and Module 8 – Liability in air law and GNSS
· 10 December 2009, 4th Eilene M. Galloway Symposium on Critical Issues in Space Law- International Cooperation for Peaceful Purposes, Moderator of 2 panels.

2008
Publications:

. Lunar exploration and exploitation as a special case of planetary exploration: legal issues. In: Zhukov, G. & Kapustin, A. (Eds.), The Contemporary Problems of International Space Law, 159-169. Moscow: People's Friendship University (2008)
· The contribution of the global earth observation system of systems to disaster management (with F. Tronchetti), in: Proceedings of the 50th Colloquium on the Law of Outer Space, 2007, 697-704 (AIAA 2008)· The Humanitarian Charter and minimum standards in disaster response (Sphere), in: Proceedings of the 50th Colloquium on the Law of Outer Space, 2007, 756-763 (AIAA 2008)
· Introduction by the President, in: Proceedings of the 50th Colloquium on the Law of Outer Space, 2007, xi-xiv (AIAA 2008)
· Report of the Colloquium on the Law of Outer Space, in: Proceedings of the 50th Colloquium on the Law of Outer Space, 2007, 601-611 (AIAA 2008)
· Legal principles governing the exploration and use of outer space in times of peace and war, in ELM (ELSA Leiden Magazine), Vol. 8, June 2008, p. 33-37.

· Private Human Access to Space: legal challenges and possibilities, presented at 1st IAA Symposium on Private Manned Access to Space, May 28 – 30, 2008, Arcachon, France (with S. Freeland), proceedings published on DVD
· Le Droit de l’Espace: Voyage juridique aux pays des étoiles, lecture for Amitié Club, Haags Historisch Museum, 17 March 2008
· Space Law for scientists: Exploring the Unknown, presentation at Youth World Space Congress, WFPS, Athens, Greece, 17-19 April 2008
· Ruimterecht in Vogelvlucht & capita selecta, lecture for Volkenrechtelijk Dispuut Telders, 7 June 2008
· The road to a European Space Policy: The relationship between ESA and the EU, presentation at the Air and Space Law Conference organised by China University of Political Science and Law (CUPL), Beijing, 17/18 October 2008

2007

· Report of the Colloquium on the Law of Outer Space, in: Proceedings of the 49th Colloquium on the Law of Outer Space, 2006, 502-517 (AIAA 2007)

2006

· Lunar Exploration & Exploitation as a Special Case of Planetary Exploration - Legal Issues’, in Proceedings of the ISRO-IISL Space Law Conference 2005, p.23-32, Allied Publishers (2006)
· ESA Policy and impending legal framework for for commercial utilisation of the European Columbus Laboratory Module of the ISS (with R. Veldhuyzen), in: The International Space Station, 47-62, Nijhoff, Studies in Space Law Vol. 1 (2006).
· Assessment of CEATS Military Advanced CONOPS (legal and regulatory aspects), report prepared for EUROCONTROL
· ADVANTIS: a Centralised, Guaranteed Integrity Localisation Service; a key for the EGNOS and Galileo Business Model’ (legal and policy aspects of applications for road pricing and offender tracking), report prepared for the EU
· Report on liability of EASA for a Liability and Risk Management study carried out for EASA (analysis of regulations, assessment of potential liability exposure)
· International telecommunications via satellite, lecture at ECSL Summer Course on space law and policy, ESTEC, Noordwijk, September 2006
· Report of the Colloquium in Fukuoka, Japan, in: Proceedings of the 48th Colloquium on the Law of Outer Space, 2005, 475-493 (AIAA 2006)
· Report of the IISL/ECSL Space Law Symposium 2005: “Recent Developments in Remote Sensing and the Desirability of Reviewing the 1986 United Nations Principles Relating to Remote Sensing of the Earth from Outer Space”, in: Proceedings of the 48th Colloquium on the Law of Outer Space, 2005, .494-498 (AIAA 2006)
· Ruimtetoeristen, van wie is de Maan, e.a. capita selecta van ruimterecht, lecture for Probus, Rotterdam, 17 Oct. 2006
· De ruimte: luchtledig, maar niet rechtsledig: een kennismaking, lecture for Stichting Dokter G.F. Pop, 27 Oct. 2006

2005

· The Advantis Project: a Business Case for Galileo? European Journal of Navigation, Vol. 3 Nr. 3, 54-57 (2005)
· A practical application of EGNOS and Galileo: the ADVANTIS project, in: Proceedings of the 47th Colloquium on the Law of Outer Space, Vancouver 2004, AIAA 2005, p. 362-369
· Report of the IISL/ECSL Space Law Symposium 2004: “New Developments and the legal framework covering the exploitation of the resources of the moon”, in: Proceedings of the 47th Colloquium on the Law of Outer Space, 2004, 545-548 (AIAA 2005)

2004

· Strengthening the Estonian administrative capacity of the implementation of acquis communautaire and international air transport law in the EU, report for Estonian government
· Report of the IISL/ECSL Space Law Symposium 2003: “Reinforcing the Registration Convention”, in: Proceedings of the 46th Colloquium on the Law of Outer Space, 2003, 483-485 (AIAA 2004)

· Around the World with the International Institute of Space Law, IAF Newsletter 7, 2001, p. 7-9.
· Report of the Discussions held after the sessions of the 43rd colloquium on the law of outer space, in: Proceedings of the 43rd Colloquium on the Law of Outer Space, 2000, 398-399 (AIAA 2001)

2000

· The International Trade in Launch Services; the effects of US laws, policies and practices on its development (H. Peter van Fenema, Leiden, 1999), Book Review in XXV Air & Space Law 2000, Nr, 2, pp 90-92 (Kluwer Law International)
· Discussion session IISL colloquium Amsterdam 1999, in: Proceedings of the 42nd Colloquium on the Law of Outer Space, 1999, 503-506 (AIAA 2000)
· 43rd IISL Colloquium, 2-6 October 2000, Rio de Janeiro, in 28 Journal of Space Law 138-54 (2000)

1999

· Course on space law for government officials in Jakarta, Indonesia, at the invitation of Prof. Priyatna Abdurrasyid
· IISL Colloquium, 4-8 October 1999, Amsterdam, in: 27 Journal of Space Law 1999, pp. 141-160

1998
· Heaven and Earth: Civilian Uses of Near-Earth Space (D. Dallmeyer & K. Tsipis, eds.), Book Review, in Air and Space Law (Kluwer Law International), Vol. 23, No. 1, pp. 52-54
· Report of the Discussions held after the sessions of the 40th colloquium on the law of outer space, in: Proceedings of the 40th Colloquium on the Law of Outer Space, 1997, 423-425 (AIAA 1998)

1997
· Space Law Training and Education (with P.H. Tuinder), in: Outlook on Space Law over the next 30 Years (Editor-in-chief G. Lafferranderie, Co-editor D. Crowther), Kluwer Law International 1997, 285-301.
· Report of the Discussions held after the sessions of the 39th colloquium on the law of outer space, in: Proceedings of the 39th Colloquium on the Law of Outer Space, 1996, 285-287 (AIAA 1997)
· Space Law Colloquium in Turin, Italy, in: 25 Journal of Space Law 1997, pp 133-149

1996

· Beijing IISL Colloquium on the Law of Outer Space, in 24 Journal of Space Law 1996, pp 137-151
· Report of the Discussions held after the sessions of the 38th colloquium on the law of outer space, in: Proceedings of the 38th Colloquium on the Law of Outer Space, 1995, 303-304 (AIAA 1996)

1994
· The Manfred Lachs Space Law Moot Court Competition, in ECSL News No. 13 (April 1994)
· Report of the discussions held after the four sessions of the 36th Colloquium on the Law of Outer Space, in Proceedings of the 36th Colloquium on the Law of Outer Space,1993, 363-365 (AIAA 1994)
· Liability for private space activities and litigation, Lecture at the European Summer Course on Space Law, Granada, September 1994 (ECSL)

1993
· Legal aspects of aerospace planes, in ECSL Space Law and Policy Course - Basic Materials, ECSL/Nijhoff, 1993, document 43, 307-316 (reprinted from Air and Space Law, KLUWER 1993)
· The Martin Marietta case or how to safeguard private commercial space activities, in Proceedings of the 35th Colloquium on the Law of Outer Space, 1992, 239-247 (AIAA 1993)
· Also published in ECSL Space Law and Policy Course - Basic Materials, ECSL/Nijhoff, 1993, document 41, 293-297
· An updated version of this paper was published in Air and Space Law, Vol. XVIII no. 1, 16-24 (Kluwer 1993)
· Report of the discussions held after the four sessions of the 35th Colloquium on the Law of Outer Space, in Proceedings of the 35th Colloquium on the Law of Outer Space, 1992, 427-430 (AIAA 1993)
· Colloquium on the law of outer space, Graz, Austria, 18-22 October 1993, in Journal of Space Law, Vol. 21, no. 2, 150-163 (1993)

1992
· The establishment of a legal regime for the exploitation of the natural resources of the moon and other celestial bodies: when and how? (with W.W.C. de Vries) in Proceedings of the 34th Colloquium on the Law of Outer Space, 1991, 257 ff. (AIAA 1992)
· Space law: an introduction and issues for the next century, in Revista Aeronautica y Astronautica (Spain, 1992)
· International telecommunications and ITU developments, in: The Highways of Air and Outer Space Over Asia, Proceedings of the Conference on the Law, Policy and Commerce of International Air Transport and Space Activities (Taipei 1991), 1992
· Handbuch des Welraumrechts, K.H. Böckstiegel (ed.) (book review), in Leiden Journal of International Law, 1992
· General legal aspects of the proposed aerospace plane (presentation), Symposium on Spaceplanes and law, CSP Japan & SOLAPSU (Tokyo, March 1992)
· Air and Space Law: de lege ferenda; Essays in honour of Henri A. Wassenbergh, (BOOK; Editor-in chief with P. Mendes de Leon), Nijhoff 1992
· The aerospace plane: an object at the cross-roads between air and space law, in: Air and Space Law: de lege ferenda 247-261 (Nijhoff 1992)
· General legal aspects of the proposed aerospace plane, Lecture at the symposium on spaceplanes and law, SOLAPSU, Japan, March 1992, Published in: Proceedings of the 3rd Space Law and Policy Seminar, The aerospace plane: its technological, legal and political future 5-17 (CSP Japan, 1992
· The establishment of a legal regime for the exploitation of the natural resources of the moon and other celestial bodies: when and how? (with W,W.C. de Vries), in Proceedings of the 34th Colloquium on the Law of Outer Space, 1991, 257-263 (AIAA 1992)
· Report of the discussions held after the 4 sessions of the 34th Colloquium on the Law of Outer Space, in: Proceedings of the 34th Colloquium on the Law of Outer Space, 1991, 375 (AIAA 1992)
· International telecommunications and ITU developments, in: The highways of air and outer space over Asia, P. Mendes de Leon & Chia-jui Cheng (eds.) 99-108 (Nijhoff 1992)
· Legal aspects of aerospace planes, Lecture at the first European Summer Course on Space Law, Messina, Sep. 1992 (ECSL/Erasmus)
· Handbuch des Weltraumrechts, K.H. Böckstiegel (ed.) (Book review), in Leiden Journal of International Law, Vol. 5 no. 2, 285-292 (Oct. 1992)
· Derecho espacial: Introducción y posibilidades para el próximo siglo, in: Revista de aeronautica y astronautica 1179-1182 (Dec. 1992)
· The 35th Colloquium on the law of outer space, Washington DC, 28 Aug.- 5 Sep. 1992, in Journal of Space Law, Vol. 20 no. 2, 141-160 (1992)

1991

· International Colloquium on the Law of Outer Space, Montreal, Oct. 8-11, 1991 (conference report) in 19 Journal of Space Law 146-162 (1991)
· The spaceplane and the law (conference report) in 19 Journal of Space Law 60-66 (1991)
· Is it a plane? (Conference report) in Space Policy 1991
· Research and invention in outer space and their commercial exploitation: liability and intellectual property rights (conference report) in SBL News (Supplement to International Business Lawyer -IBA) 16-19 (Sept. 1991)

1990

· Liability Aspects of the International Space Station Agreement of 29 Sept. 1988 (with W.W.C. de Vries), in Proceedings of the 32nd Colloquium on the Law of Outer Space, 1989, 445-450 (AIAA 1990)
· Commercial Utilization of Outer Space; Legal Aspects, H. van Traa-Engelman (book review), in 3 Leiden Journal of International Law 87-90 (1990)

1989

· The Creation and Impact of a European Legal Framework for Space Activities (with W.W.C. de Vries), in Proceedings of the 31st Colloquium on the Law of Outer Space, American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, 1988,198-207 (AIAA 1989)
· Proceedings of the Latin American Conference on International Air Transport and Outer Space Activities, Mexico 1988 (editor, with P.M.J. Mendes de Leon), International Institute of Air and Space Law, Leiden University (1989)

1988

· The (Il-)legality of the Military Uses of Outer Space, in International Colloquium on the Militarisation of Outer Space, 20 Collection de Droit International, Editions Bruylant, Université de Bruxelles 301-309 (1988)
· Regulating Remote Sensing of the Earth from Outer Space, Taking into Account the Present Trend of Privatisation of this Activity (with W.W.C. de Vries), in Proceedings of the 30th Colloquium on the Law of Outer Space, 1987, 411-418, AIAA (1988)
· Space Law: Views of the Future (BOOK; editor-in-chief), Kluwer Law and Taxation Publishers (1988)
· The Influence of the Achievements and Failures of the Past on the Future of Outer Space Law, in Space Law: Views of the Future 33-41 (1988)
· Space Debris: Ex Facto Sequitur Lex? in 1 Leiden Journal of International Law 89-96 (1988)
· Some Reflections on the (il-)legality of the Military Uses of Outer Space, in 21 Postepy Astronautyki, Bulletin Naukowy 102-118 (Poland, 1988/1/2)
· The Law and Economics of Transborder Telecommunications, E.J. Mestmaecker (ed.) (book review); in 1 Leiden Journal of International Law 257-261 (1988)
· The Latin American Conference on International Air Transport and Outer Space Activities, Mexico-City, 14-18 August 1988 (conference report, with P. Mendes de Leon) in 16 Journal of Space Law 185-188 (1988)
· International Institutions involved in Space Activities (with J. Hubers), International Institute of Air and Space Law, Leiden University, Report commissioned by the United Nations University, Tokyo (1988)
· Telecommunications via Satellite: WARC-ORB '85-'88, presentation University of Amsterdam (November 1988)

1987

· Aviation Security: How to Safeguard International Air Transport (conference report), in XII Air Law 102-110 (1987)
· Aspects of Space Militarisation (presentation), Stanford University, Law School, USA (April 1987) The Law Governing Outer Space Activities, in Europe

China Institute of Space Law: expert member of the International Advisory Committee

Kluwer Law International, Air and Space Law: Member, Board of Editors

Indian Journal of Air and Space Law (IJASL): Member of the Editorial Advisory Board